1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of growing plants in climate controlled facilities. More specifically, the invention relates to a method of growing plants in a growing room.
2. Background of the Invention
The commercial process of planting, germinating and hardening of plantlets typically occurs in large greenhouses. During this process, individual plantlets are grown in small plastic liners dispersed across a flat. The flats themselves are distributed throughout the greenhouse on various racks or benches at a uniform height. This arrangement creates a number of inefficiencies in the growing process including obstruction of light, dead air space among adjacent plants and poor light transmission through the flats. Additionally, the care for the plants requires extra manual labor to move the liners and remove the plants from the liners.
A growing room such as disclosed by Kertz, U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,340, incorporated herein by reference, demonstrates a green house structure for increasing productivity by vertically arranging and growing plantlets on hanging sheets.
There is a need to grow plants for extended periods of time in a controlled environment. For example, growing systems are needed for growing livestock feed, grains, and food crops in a controlled environment over extended periods of time. Furthermore, as the population continues to increase and urban areas expand, the demand for food crops will increase. There is also the need to address the spatial requirements of plants developing beyond the seedling or sprout stage and do not require removal of germinated plantlets from the facility for replanting. Further there is a need for a growing system that allows the private homeowner to grow plants in high density urban areas to cultivate fresh produce.
Consequently, there is a need for a new vertical growing apparatus to maximize the benefits of the vertical arrangements of a growing room.